Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a zoom lens and an imaging apparatus equipped with the zoom lens. In particular, the present invention relates to a miniature zoom lens that has a high magnification change ratio and enables wide-angle imaging, and an imaging apparatus equipped with the zoom lens.
Background Art
Imaging apparatuses using solid image sensors such as a compact digital camera and a digital single lens reflex camera have been popular. Accordingly, market needs for a zoom lens adjustable the focal length depending on an object as an optical system of an imaging apparatus increase. Especially, demand for not only a miniaturized zoom lens that has high imaging performance and high magnification change ratio but also wide-angle and low cost for such zoom lenses increases. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2011-081113 discloses a wide-angle high-magnification zoom lens in which a half image viewing angle at wide-angle end exceeds 80 degrees and the magnification change ratio is about 30. Meanwhile, Japanese Patent No. 5100411 discloses a zoom lens that has a high magnification change ratio suitable for an interchangeable lens used in a lens-interchangeable imaging apparatus.